The Witches of Vardo: THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER: 'Powerful, deeply moving' - Sunday Times

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I found Bergman’s writing atmospheric and beautiful. Her chapters alternate between the perspectives of Anna and Ingeborg. I especially enjoyed the incorporation of various folktales into the narrative including those of the Sámi people. The visionary transformation of the witches into birds was very evocative and reminded me of the portrayal in Philip Pullman’s ‘His Dark Materials’ of the northern witches, who were also gifted with weather magic.

Bob Mortimer wins 2023 Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction with The Satsuma Complex Anna Rhodius, ex-mistress of the King of Denmark, has been banished to Vardø for some unknown reason. She is convinced that the only way out of the godforsaken island is to provide information to the local Governor about suspected witches, whom he is determined to remove. Overall, ‘The Witches of Vardø’ is an incredible debut and a superb example of literary historical fiction. It is extremely engaging and meticulously researched. I had a real sense of the deep connection that Anya Bergman felt to her subject. Norway, 1662. A dangerous time to be a woman, when even dancing can lead to accusations of witchcraft. When Zigri, desperate and grieving after the loss of her husband and son, embarks on an affair with the local merchant, it's not long before she is sent to the fortress at Vardø, to be tried and condemned as a witch. The nearby mountain Domen, where many of the accused witches were said to have met, is now home to a shelter to rest and enjoy the ocean view. The trials in popular cultureThe trials were held throughout the 17th century but reached a peak in the winter of 1662–1663. In that harsh winter, 30 women were put on trial. Also captive in the fortress is Anna Rhodius, once the King of Denmark’s mistress, who has been sent to Vardo in disgrace. What will she do – and who will she betray – to return to her privileged life at court? The story is inspired from the real events of 16th Century in Vardo (the easternmost town in Norway). With glimpses of actual history run Ning in parallel with the storyline is this book that will take you in world filled with real atrocities of male dominance. This is a thought-provoking and beautifully told story, one that historical fiction fans won’t want to put down. Three women who know nothing of the other shall be forced into close proximity, all at the behest of a zealous King, unstable guards riddled with paranoia and hatred, and a place which is both gilded for some, yet tarnished for others, they will all finally open their eyes and witness something which many shall talk about for hundreds of years to come.

Anna and Iangeborg – two characters who are so different but tell such rich interweaving stories. My heart lept into my mouth when Anna was told she would basically have to join the witch hunts. Ingeborg was a complex woman and her meeting with Malen who is a VERY intriguing character just really made this novel a rich and complex tapestry for me which held me tight between its various strands.

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Also, a lot of things in the book just don't make sense. For example, all of Anna's POVs are written like her letters to the king and the way their relationships were in life and the depth of her letters just seems ridiculous. Norway, 1662. A dangerous time to be a woman, when even dancing can lead to accusations of witchcraft. When recently widowed Zigri embarks on a doomed affair with the local merchant, she is inevitably sent to the fortress at Vardø to be tried and condemned as a witch. Except for the Sami boy Zare, none of the characters felt likeable or acted sensibly. Some of the characters change their minds randomly just to change the direction of the plot. Altogether, it's believed that 140 witch trials were held across Finnmark in the 17th century. Of those, 90 people were condemned to death. Vardø is exposed to the Barents Sea. Photo: Asbjørn Nilsen / Statens vegvesen

One of them, Ingeborg Iversdatter, confessed under interrogation that she and an adult friend had transformed themselves into cats so they could escape incarceration and take part in a Christmas celebration with Satan. The end of the trials Vardø Witch Trials (Norway, 1662 - 1663) - Witchcraft". Wise Witches and Witchcraft. 2018-12-16 . Retrieved 2019-10-25.The story is told in mostly two POVs, that of one of the teens, sister and daughter of other accused, and the other the noblewoman’s. With some Nordic stories in between parts. Hagen, Rune (2008-06-24). "The witch‐hunt in early modern Finnmark". Acta Borealia. 16: 43–62. doi: 10.1080/08003839908580487. The memorial is in two parts. A 100-metre long memorial hall communicated the stories of the victims, written by historian Liv Helene Willumsen based on original court records. The other building, a mirrored cube, contains an evocative burning chair.